Chadwick George Maniapoto appears in the High Court at Rotorua for sentencing. Photo / Andrew Warner
Just minutes after a police safety order expired, Chadwick George Maniapoto stabbed his wife with a pair of scissors, then grabbed a large carving knife and stabbed her multiple times in the body, face and neck.
Now Maniapoto, 50, will spend six years and six months behind bars.
The Taupō man appeared in the High Court in Rotorua for sentencing today after previously pleading guilty to three charges relating to an attack described as "extreme brutal violence" that saw his wife stabbed 18 times, nearly ending her life.
The stabbing happened at Maniapoto mother's house on January 2 this year in Motutere, on the shores of Lake Taupō following a night of heavy drinking.
Maniapoto was originally charged with attempted murder, but pleaded guilty to lesser charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, causing grievous bodily harm and aggravated assault.
The two most serious charges relate to Maniapoto's wife, while the aggravated assault charge relates to slashing his mother's hand with the knife as his mother tried to stop him.
On the night before the stabbing, Maniapoto started to become aggressive towards his wife, prompting his family to call police. Police issued Maniapoto with a Police Safety Order just after 3am that was to expire at midday on January 2.
The order meant Maniapoto could not assault, harass, threaten, stalk, or intimidate the protected person - in this case, his wife.
Maniapoto went back to his mother's home at 7am and tried to pull his wife out of bed before a family member told him to leave.
He was back at 9am and was seen pushing her, and at midday the pair were seen walking away from the property, with Maniapoto trying to hold his wife's hand.
About 15 minutes later - just after the police order expired - he was seen kneeling on her while stabbing her with a small pair of scissors.
Judge Woolford said given Maniapoto was seen earlier in the day "pushing his wife around", he didn't think the attack was premeditated to be timed with the police order expiring.
He said he considered the timing to be a "coincidence".
A neighbour managed to get the scissors off Maniapoto and restrain him until his mother took Maniapoto's wife inside to treat her wounds.
The neighbour thought Maniapoto had calmed down and let him go, but he went inside, grabbed a large carving knife and stabbed his wife while she lay on a couch.
As he stabbed her, his mother tried to stop him, but the palm of her hand was slashed in the process.
Maniapoto's wife was airlifted to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition and she underwent two surgeries for 18 puncture wounds.
She suffered a punctured lung, a fractured rib, and a "significant" wound to her left forearm which left her in hospital for eight days.
Maniapoto's lawyer, Ben Smith, handed Justice Woolford a letter of remorse his client had written to his former partner on the back of a letter she had written him.
"The victim records in her letter that she knows he is sorry. It is an important point to make that Mr Maniapoto is sorry this has happened. He knows it has had a profound effect on the victim and he wishes he could undo it."
His lawyer asked Justice Woolford to take into account his heart condition when sentencing him.
He said he was facing heart surgery following heart failure and would need to recover - all of which would be more difficult in prison.
Justice Mark Woolford acknowledged Maniapoto had offered to take part in restorative justice, and as a result gave him a full 25 per cent discount for his guilty plea.
It was noted Maniapoto likely had undiagnosed autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a child, had no previous violence convictions and had not offended for 10 years.
Justice Woolford also sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment for the assault on his mother, to be served concurrently with his prison sentence of six years and six months.
• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843
• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633
• It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450, www.areyouok.org.nz
• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and their children. 24/7 crisis line available at 0800 742 584
• Ministry of Justice: www.justice.govt.nz/family-justice/domestic-violence
• National Network of Stopping Violence: www.nnsvs.org.nz
• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women www.whiteribbon.org.nz
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